Sarah Polley Fights Controversial Film Tax-Credit Restriction

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – Oscar nominee Sarah Polley says a bill that would allow the Conservative government to refuse tax credits to film or television productions considered offensive will send a chill through the country’s entertainment industry.

She told a Parliament Hill news conference that Bill C-10 has a whiff of censorship, would force Canadian productions out of the country and must be changed.

Polley, who will be joined by a number of influential players in Canada’s film industry, will testify before a Senate committee that’s reviewing the bill later today.

As it stands now, producers apply for a bank loan for the production of a film or television show and get a government credit only after the show is complete, if they meet Canadian content rules.

Giving the government the power to make a ruling on acceptable content after a program has been filmed has many in the artistic community upset.